by V. Vaughn
Nate bursts into laughter that goes on so long he’s wiping his eyes when he begins to recover. He manages to spit out, “Lexi?” before he begins to laugh again.
I force out a calm reply. “That’s not possible, but thank you for the compliment.”
“You really think Lexi would want a guy like you?” Nate doesn’t bother to control himself and continues to laugh. Hunter glares at him, and finally my coworker finds a way to control himself. He coughs to clear his throat. “Sorry, man. But Lexi?” He snorts one more time before he takes a deep breath and blows it out.
I gaze at Hunter and notice his brow is knit, but I don’t think he’s angry. Is he hurt? I soften my approach. “Well, now that you’ll speak, perhaps we can get a more accurate profile. I’m sure we can find you the perfect woman to make your days on Earth a pleasant experience.”
Hunter shakes his head. “Now who’s being stupid? I am your mate, Lexi.” His green eyes flash at me, and his tone changes to one of dominance. “We will be together when you let yourself see the truth.”
His words are like arrows flying toward my heart, but I’m prepared. While he’d likely be the sexual adventure of a lifetime, I won’t fall for a guy like Hunter. “Apparently our versions of the truth are two different things.”
Nate says, “Buddy, you have no idea how smart and capable this woman is. She’s going places, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she were president of the United States in a few decades.” He scoffs. “Nice try space cowboy, but Lexi is not available.”
Hunter’s eyes are dark and the muscles along his jawline twitch. I’m not sure what he’s about to do, and I don’t want to find out. I reach over to touch Nate’s arm, and it’s firm with flexed muscles when I place my hand on it. It makes me wonder if perhaps Nate is angry too, and not role playing. While I appreciate his endorsement, it’s not necessary and only seems to be angering the alien, so I hope my silent signal will make Nate stop.
“I think we’ve done enough today,” I say. “We can get back to the profile tomorrow.”
Hot breath tickles my ear before the sensation of someone kissing me on my neck sends shivers down my spine. Hunter stands up to lean down on his hands toward me as he says, “I must not have been clear.”
Now an invisible hand takes my chin, and lips brush lightly over mine, making me gasp. Hunter grins, and I place my hand on my chest just below my neck to feel my heart beating rapidly. I’m afraid to speak because I’m not sure I’ll be coherent, so I scowl at him. He takes the kiss further and when his tongue darts in my mouth I instinctively respond before I catch myself.
Nate says, “This guy’s too much, Lexi.” He frowns at me, “You’re flushed like you have a fever. Are you okay?”
No! My hormones have gone into overdrive, and all I can think about is kissing, and touching, and getting naked with the sexy alien across from me. But Hunter is a million kinds of wrong for me. Since he seems determined to have me, I’ve got to figure out how I’m going to make him understand this earth girl is not his mate. I take a deep breath. “I’m fine. I may have underestimated how difficult finding TS-501 a match will be.” I smile as my tenacious spirit kicks in. “But you know how I like a good challenge. We’ll have him paired off with the perfect human woman by the end of the week. I’m sure of it.”
My heart sinks with sadness as I imagine Hunter picking one of the hundreds of applicants in the database. But I shake it off, because my nerdy alien will come to sweep me off my feet when the time is right. Until then, I’ll have to get over my physical attraction to this bad boy and get to work.
Chapter 3
My finger slams down on the enter key of my computer, and the screen still remains locked. “Damn it!” I glance up at Nate, who’s rushed over to my desk. “Get me someone from IT, now. The potential matches for Hunter won’t load.” Once we sent the alien back to his quarters, we entered our best guess profile for him so he could start searching for a match tonight. While it won’t be accurate, I hope to entice him enough to consider crossing me off his list as his number one.
The wheels of my chair rumble over the floor after I shove myself away from my desk and roll over to my stationary computer with the large screen. I pull up the dating site and try my personal log in instead of the admin credentials I was using earlier. I click on the ‘available males’ link, and the list comes up weighted with the selections who are most likely to be a match at the top. “Interesting.”
Footsteps sound behind me before I’m accosted by the coffee breath of Kiely, the head of the IT department. “At your service, Boss Lady,” she says in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Not amused. Why will the site pull up matches for me but not for the new alien I entered?”
“I don’t know.” Kiely grabs a chair and sits next to me. “Let me take a look.” Keys click as she begins to type. “Hmmm.” She frowns when nothing happens for her search. “I’m going to look at the code so this might take a while.”
“Got it,” I say, and I grab my phone. I leave my office to call my friend Mandy. I’m still shaken from the way Hunter pulled out my hairdo and kissed me, and I want to understand more about what he can do with his telekinesis.
She picks up on the first ring. “Hey. How’s my favorite matchmaker?”
“I’ve been better. How’s wedded bliss?”
“Amazing.” She sighs, and it makes me smile. My friend who swore she’d never fall head-over-heels in love and get married did both. “But what’s going on, Lexi?”
I glance around the hallway to make sure nobody can hear me and lower my voice. “I need to know more about the telekinesis thing the aliens do.”
“Did Hunter touch you? You need--”
“I am!” A woman walking away from me looks over to stare, and I turn my back to her as I continue in a hushed tone. When I first met Hunter on planet Eroscia the sight of him made my insides melt, and I know Mandy could tell I was attracted to him. I also know it made her afraid for me, given how angry and dangerous he appeared. “I am staying far away from him. But I think he did an invisible touch thing.”
“Oh my god. They can definitely do that. What did he do?”
“He pulled my hair out of my bun.” Considering my friend thinks I need to stay far away from Hunter, I decide to leave out the kiss. “What else can he do to me?”
“Oh boy. That’s a loaded question. Caiden and I could have sex in a public place without anyone knowing if we wanted to.”
“What do you mean we? You can participate?”
“Oh yeah.” She blows out a big breath. “Part of being mated with an alien is that you get the telekinetic powers too. But only with him.”
“That’s fascinating. Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Ah. Well....”
It occurs to me that if it was common knowledge, our government scientists would be all over it and want to study Mandy’s every move. And since my friend is already subjected to monthly testing as part of the deal to get her back from Eroscia, I’m sure the last thing she wants is more. “Sorry. I get why. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks,” she says. “Now tell me more about Hunter. Do you know what he did to get put in handcuffs?”
She referring to when Hunter was first brought to me on Eroscia. Caiden seems to think Hunter isn’t dangerous, and while that might be true for the rest of Earth, I’m not so sure about me. Even so, I’d really like to know what his crime was. I say, “I hoped Caiden might know.”
“He doesn’t. I already asked. But he grew up with Hunter and said he’s a good guy.”
I can see I’m going to have to get the truth myself. I think it’s time to pay a personal visit to one smoking-hot alien and work my charm on a man that will likely succumb. “Okay. I’ll figure it out.”
“Fill me in when you can, and let me know if I can help with anything.”
“Thanks, Mandy. I will.” My phone clicks as I turn it off, and I make my way back to my office.
&n
bsp; When I get there Kiely turns to me. “I don’t know how it happened but there seems to be something going on with just TS-501’s account that blocks everything.” She rises from her chair. “I’ll go sort it out and let you know when it’s set.”
“Great. Thanks.” My chair squeaks as I lower myself into it, and I tap on my laptop to light up the screen. The image of Hunter’s face pops up, and I gaze into his vivid green eyes. They appear so alive in person, but there’s a darkness beneath them, and I wonder what secrets TS-501 is keeping.
A good steak worked to get him to speak, and it makes me think that a delicious dessert might be a good bribe too. A smile covers my face, because sugar could be my ticket to the truth.
About a block from my office building is an ice cream shop that’s been in existence for decades. I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven when I eat there, so I grab my purse and head down to where Hunter is staying.
The metal of his door is hard on my knuckles when I knock, and I try not to gasp when the sexy alien opens up wearing nothing more than a pair of snug boxer briefs. I clench my fingers so I won’t reach out and drag them along the ridges of his abs. And my gaze darts lower for a second before I say, “Hey.” My voice comes out higher in tone than normal, and I clear my throat before I add, “I was about to go down the street to get ice cream and thought you might like to walk outside. Want to come?”
“Ice cream?”
I flash him my best smile as I keep my gaze on his face. “It’s an earth food you must try.”
“I know what it is.” There’s a twinkle in his eye as he gestures to his crotch. “I need to get dressed first. I’m told this wouldn’t be appropriate for the public.”
I avoid dropping my gaze and smile back with my own amusement at his attempt to get me to check out his package. I guess he doesn’t know I already did. “That’s right. Clothes would be good.”
“Come on in.” Hunter steps aside, and I walk into the sitting area of his studio apartment. There’s a couch, coffee table and television in a comfortable space that is obviously designed to be temporary living quarters. He walks through the doorway to the area of his bedroom and a bathroom, and in minutes he reappears in a pair of khaki cotton shorts and a white polo shirt that barely contains his massive arms and chest.
“Am I suitable?” he asks as he glances down at himself.
Hunter is as far from the country club type as one could get, and I think he should be wearing a black tee instead. I make a note to discuss fashion choices with the processing team. “You are, but I’ll see what I can do about getting you more comfortable clothing.” I point to the sleeve cuff that might be cutting off his circulation. “Is that too tight?”
Hunter flexes his arms, and fabric tears as he rips the sleeves with the force. “No.”
He grins at me, and I roll my eyes at him. “Is that an alien trick to get the girl?”
“Did it work?”
The handle of his door is cool in my fingers as I turn it so we can leave. “Not on me, but I bet it will on your match.”
Hunter is behind me as I lead the way, and he leans over my shoulder to speak softly. “You keep forgetting you’re my mate, Lexi. Don’t worry. I’ll figure out what will work on you.”
His words shouldn’t send a chill of desire down my spine, but they do. I shake it off quickly, because I’m after information. As we walk out the door to the street Hunter, places his hand at the small of my back, and our electricity zings through me, making my knees weak. I really need to find this guy a mate, because while I’m supposed to be using my charm to get what I want, he’s playing the same game. And right now, he might be winning.
Chapter 4
The ice cream parlor has small red tables set up outside, and once Hunter and I get our cones we head toward one. I got my standby, chocolate chip, and he decided on the same. Creamy flavor coats my tongue as I lick around the top edge of the cone and Hunter watches me. He says, “There appears to be a proper technique for this.”
I nod. “It’s important to make sure the ice cream isn’t going to drip down the cone and get your fingers sticky, so you need to lick all the way around and keep it balanced.”
Hunter copies what he saw me do, and a smile covers his face as the flavor hits his tongue.
“You like it?”
“Very much.”
“There’s more. Once the ice cream is low enough you need to push it down in the cone a bit with your tongue. That way you’ll have the right cone-to-ice-cream ratio up to the very end.”
He chuckles, and I notice his gaze drops to my mouth. When his eyes darken, I think he’s imagining me licking something else. A tingle of desire rushes through me, and I watch him lap at his cone too. Now I’m the one imagining his tongue laving me, and it’s suddenly hard to breath. My cone crunches as I bite some off with a little more force than necessary, and I glance up to stare into his eyes. Hunter mimics me with a bite of his own, and he leans in closer to me. I know I should move back, but while I tell my body to do it, I find I only close the distance between us a little more. This is crazy. I’m not going to fall for a man just because of physical chemistry.
As Hunter chews, his tongue darts out to lick his lips, and I involuntarily mirror him. He’s so close to me now, I detect the scent of his soap along with the faint odor of his male musk. It makes my stomach tremble, and the urge to touch him overwhelms me. Maybe what I need is to kiss him and satiate my need. Just once should do the trick, because chances are it won’t be the best I’ve ever had, and then I can get over my silly crush.
I’ve stopped eating my treat, and cool, melted ice cream rolls over my fingers as I’m trapped in the pools of Hunter’s green eyes. I can’t take it any longer. I lean into him as he moves toward me, and the moment his mouth touches mine I know I’m in trouble. It’s as if our lips were made for each other, and I fall into a kiss that’s familiar in its ease, but exhilarating as our chemistry sizzles.
My cone splats on the ground when I drop it, and I grasp at Hunter’s arms to hang on for the ride. His ice cream falls too, and he takes my face in his hands as our tongues twine together. The voice of reason finally gets loud enough for me to stop. I pull away and take a deep breath. Hunter lets out a small noise as his eyes dance with amusement.
He thinks he won. He is so wrong. Sure, that was an amazing kiss, but he’s still not the man for me. I throw my shoulders back and ask the question that I planned this excursion to find out. “Why were you forced to come to Earth?”
“Forced?” He chuckles. “Why do you think that?”
“You came to me in handcuffs with a look that made me think you wanted to eat me alive.” Hunter’s eyes flash, and the heated gaze he gives me makes me want to cover myself as if I’m naked. I grab a napkin to wipe my sticky hand. “And then you had an angry exchange with Selene. What should I think?”
He reaches for my hand and lifts it to his mouth. I try to tug it away, but he only grips me tighter. “First you should know I did want to--” His mouth is warm on my finger as he sucks one in and licks the ice cream residue off, and any ideas I have of resisting him melt away. “--devour you the moment I saw you.”
My voice shakes as I say, “Oh.” And I let out a little sigh when he licks another one of my fingers.
“My fight with Selene was because that’s what she and I do.” I scowl as I wonder if they used to be involved romantically. Hunter may sense it because he quickly reassures me. “Even though I wanted to come to Earth for you, I couldn’t let her have it that easy. This is supposed to be a punishment.”
“Punishment?” I pull my hand away now that he’s done licking my fingers. “I thought all Eroscians wanted to come to our planet.”
“Most of us do. But I’m too rough around the edges for the people of Earth.”
“What a ridiculous thing to say. I’ve seen your table manners, and you’re not nearly as scary as you pretend to be.”
He frowns. “Then why are you trying so ha
rd to resist being my mate?”
“I--” I can’t tell Hunter I want a brilliant mind instead of a hot body, and that he probably doesn’t qualify. “It’s not appropriate. I’m the head of the Intergalactic Dating program and should not be grabbing the second alien that comes to Earth.”
“You’re a rule follower,” he says.
I cross my arms. “I am.”
Hunter leans in, but I pull back. He stops short, and his brow knits before he says, “You’re still not going to accept the fact that I’m your match, are you?”
My heart sinks, because part of me wishes I could. Our kiss didn’t solve my attraction. It made it stronger, and I’d love to have a physical relationship with Hunter. But that wouldn’t be fair to either one of us, and I can’t start something with him with the knowledge it would never turn into the marriage required of the aliens that come to Earth through my program. “I can’t.” I stand up to indicate it’s time to leave. “I really shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry I led you to believe we could be together.”
He smiles at me. “That’s only going to make me try harder.” He crouches down, and using a napkin, picks up our discarded cones. They thump in the garbage can where he tosses them. “You might think you can resist me, but I assure you when an Eroscian meets his mate, he never gives up.”
“Please stop. When we get back I’m going to get you a laptop so you can start searching for your match.”
Our feet tap along the pavement as we walk back toward my office building. The sky is darkening as the evening approaches, and bright headlights of cars flash as they go by. It occurs to me I got sidetracked earlier and never found out why Hunter was restrained when we first met. “You didn’t tell me why you were being punished. What did you do?”
“What did you call the steak I had earlier? Porterhouse?”
“You’re changing the subject,” I say. But as soon as the words leave my mouth, I get what he’s really saying. I should be angry, but instead I’m amused, and since I did just bruise his ego, I go with it. “Seriously? I have to bribe that out of you too?” Hunter grins at me when I glance at him.